An afternoon with the kabuta...

After spending the morning creating and posting photo albums.  I did tick one important item off the to do list...
A couple weeks ago when we moved C'est la Vie from Sunset Island the mainland I noticed the engine  temperature elevated quickly. So today I went through the cooling system...
1) Raw water strainer - flushed - I did find the usual sea weed, leaves, etc.
2) Impeller - replaced
3) Heat exchanger - it has been years since I last removed a massive amount of gunk, impeller bits, zinc, etc from these tiny tubes.  This time around it was much cleaner, but I did remove some sizeable chunks of  zinc bits.
4)Coolant - added  approx. 1/2 pint of water to the coolant.

No smoking guns, but I'm willing to bet that the combination of stuff in the raw water strainer, zinc bits in the heat exchanger, and the need to add some water to the coolant will bring the engine temps back to normal.  We plan to  take C'est la Vie out to the Gulf tomorrow to test the coolant system, test the boom gallows cross piece, and clean the hull. 

The evening was pleasant and I utilized the waning light to install our new grill on the stern rail.  Here is an image of C'est la Vie bathed in this evening's setting sun.

Addition of Photo Albums to our blog

Spent too much time this morning creating photo albums.  It all started when I went back to look for images of what types of fuel containers we carried on deck when we traveled to the Bahamas in 2008.  Well I found the image and was inspired to add some of these pictures to our new blog.  Four hours, many albums, and numerous links later there is now access to some of our C'est la Vie photos via the links on the right side of this page.

This process definitely took away from my project time this morning, but it has inspired me to push on through the remaining projects so that we can start our summer travels.

I wonder if owning a boat is as much about the projects as the travels...

Enjoy the images.

progress on many fronts (a.k.a our first day back to FL)

With many miles now in the mirror and our rental car returned to the Hertz stable, we spent our first full day back in FL making progress on many fronts.

 The day started with a third coat of primer on the generator box and concluded with the application of the first coat of topcoat.  I am using Interlux Brightside Matterhorn White for the box.  C'est la Vie's hull is Matterhorn White by Awlgrip.  Using the Brighside for this project provides the opportunity to test the paint's application & qualities as the clock ticks toward the day when we need to repaint C'est la Vie's topsides.

While the morning coat of primer dried Anne and I drove to Marco, yes more driving, to meet with Bronwen, a local sailmaker.  We picked up or jib on which she had replaced the clew - see image below...

 We were pleased with the quality of the work so we dropped off our genny so that she can replace the aging clew on that sail as well.  While at the sail loft, we discussed options for creating a bimini now that the boom gallows project is nearing completion.  One of the purposes for adding the boom gallows was to provide a stable structure to which we can attach a bimini (A bimini is simply a structure, ususally made from canvas, that provides sun and rain protection for people in the boats cockpit area.)

Returning to Sunset Island in the afternoon, Anne went to work mowing the yard while I began shaping the wooded cross piece for the boom gallows.  I completed the rough cutting and began sanding prior to the onset of bug hour - see image below...

The next step will be to mount the gallows on C'est la Vie to ensure the fit and aesthetics of this piece.  We also need to locate the position for the port and starboard notches for the boom.

MV Sunshine - road trip

Anne and I are on the road visiting family.  During our trip, Anne drove north to visit her family in Cleveland while I assisted Bud with hull repairs on MV Sunshine. 

Bud is nearing the conclusion of a 6+ month project to remedy a bad case of omsmotic blistering below the waterline.  All the brown spots in the image above were blisters that were ground out, filled with new resin, and faired in.   During my time at the boat we planned to apply barrier coat to the hull.

We did make some progress, but as expected boat repairs never go according to plan.  On day one we made good progress on the barrier coat, but then weather forced us to turn our attention to other projects. By our final day at the boat we returned our efforts to filling & fairing the hull.  Hopefully with a few more days of work Sunshine will be ready for a new coat of bottom paint.

finally primer on the generator box

Finally reached the point where the generator box was faired and ready for primer.  Below is a before primer picture.

this stage of this building the box illustrated my inefficency with in working with fairing compounds.  Well practice make perfect.  The taped off area around the base of the box will be finished with wood trim.  Below is the box with the first coat of primer complete.

 Our progress and postings will be slower during the next week due to travels and work commitments.  Hopefully by late May or early June our focus will switch from projects to travels.  Patience, patience.

and on the side...

Since we were in the bedding and backing business, we also installed port and starboard, stern sheet blocks with backing plates.  In addition to the gallows backing plates we had Paradise Welding create 6" square backing plates for these blocks.  The manufacturer, Garhauer Marine ,  provides an excellent product, but the factory backing plates were less then adequate (approx a 2" diameter circle). The installation of these blocks will free up two snatch blocks that we have previously used for this purpose.

bedding & backing

Anne and I spent the day bedding - filling any voids in the assembly and holes in the deck that may allow water penetration - and then installing backing plates - 1/4" thick metal plates that are mounted below decks to insure forces placed on gallows are distributed over a large area of the hull.

First we started below decks and used cardboard replicas of the backing plates to locate where on the plates we would need to drill holes for the machine screws.  Once we confirmed the hole patterns in the backing plates were correct, we loosened the nuts on the screws currently holding gallow's bases to the deck of the boat. With nuts backed out to the end of the treads we went topsides and used the main and jib halyards to lift the gallows bases off the deck.  This gave us approximately 3/4" of a gap between the deck of the boat and wooden base of the gallows - see image below. 

After taping off the surrounding area, Anne brushed unthickened epoxy into the gap - see image below.

We then mixed up a batch of thickened epoxy and used a syringe to inject the thickened epoxy under the base. Easing the halyards lowered the assembled gallows back down onto the deck and as expected the thicken epoxy oozed out around the bases.  This will create a watertight joint with the deck - see finished product in image below.

With the base sealed to the deck we then turned our attention back to the plates below deck.  We mixed up batches of thickened epoxy and spread this atop the backing plates.  As we tightened down the plates using the machine screws, pulling the plates in contact with the underside of the deck, the epoxy filled any voids between the backing plate and the underside of the deck.  Once cured the epoxy will create a uniform surface between the plates and the deck.  The image below is of the port backing plate installed.

a leap forward

Yesterday, May 7th, we moved the boat over to a friend's dock on the mainland and Greg from Paradise welding traveled down to Everglades City to install the metal post and braces for C'est la Vie's new gallows.

Greg is pictured in the image above welding on the extensions to our existing stern railings.  These extensions provide more security in the cockpit and bracing for the gallows.

Once the welds were completed then the polishing began.

We still have numerous facets of this projects to complete - polish the welds, finish the cross brace, install backing plates, bed the thru deck bolts, but it does feel like we made a leap forward yesterday.